Wedgetail Order to be Reduced?

Britain is poised to cut an order for Boeing E-7 Wedgetails, with the airborne early warning and control aircraft possibly becoming the first confirmed victim of the government’s upcoming integrated defense review.
Negotiations between Boeing and the Ministry of Defence have been underway since mid-summer over a possible reduction in Wedgetail numbers from five to three, or possibly four, aircraft as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise.

This should free up some air and ground crew for P8! Not much to be achieved by just three of these things on their own though....

Now...what's next?

Cash-strapped Britain eyes shrinking its order of new early-warning planes

Negotiations between Boeing and the Ministry of Defence have been underway since mid-summer over a possible reduction in Wedgetail numbers from five to three, or possibly four, aircraft as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Talk Wrench]

Perhaps the money could be diverted to upgrade and extend the life of an already ageing asset? Plus, the ageing crews will have the chance to top up their pensions for a few more years.

 

[vim_fuego]

Perhaps the money could be diverted to upgrade and extend the life of an already ageing asset? Plus, the ageing crews will have the chance to top up their pensions for a few more years.

I think you might be very close to the truth...Just my opinion.

 

[Downsizer]

I don't see how three is a workable number, even with better servicability.

 

[UlsterExile]

I don't see how three is a workable number, even with better servicability.

Even with my limited knowledge, can't see us getting much use out 3. Any reason they don't go and but something else like the Globaleye from SAAB and chuck it on the back of a nice business jet like some other countries. Probably get twice as many assets and have some spare cash for a decent spares package. I may shut as that is talking common sense.

 

[Rigga]

I have worked a fleet of three helicopters on very short readiness. One on Scheduled maintenance, one on 15 minutes call-out and one on 5 minutes call-out. I acknowledge that flight durations of helicopters is very much smaller than a 737-800 (E7-ish).

However, it was a 'workable' fleet for at least five years but caused massive support problems for any "all fleet" operations - even for a planned-well-in-advance 4-day stint.

The logistics of clearing more than 50 flying hours of maintenance requirements is immense if at all possible. To be able to keep three E7s flying for long periods might require developing a whole new maintenance programme possibly moving outside the type's MPD (if the military use an MPD that is!)

 

[Barch]

Everything is honkey dory until airframe A is in the shed, airframe B goes down for a part that is on back order or needs a 3 week repair for a bird strike then you are down to 33% availability.

And as sure as eggs is eggs airframe C will fly without a problem for a week and than on Friday teatime it will go down for multitudes of problems that will require parts that aren't available so are robbed from B.

 

[Rigga]

Everything is honkey dory until airframe A is in the shed, airframe B goes down for a part that is on back order or needs a 3 week repair for a bird strike then you are down to 33% availability.

And as sure as eggs is eggs airframe C will fly without a problem for a week and than on Friday teatime it will go down for multitudes of problems that will require parts that aren't available so are robbed from B.

Yes, there is always a possibility of things going wrong...and you just deal with it, as is always done. You can say the same negative things about a fleet - say, the size of the 737Max too, so having 5 or 3 is far better than having 0.
The Chinook Fleet started with an order for 12 - and the big-wigs griped about having too many.